We'll all be meeting up on August 17, two days before the season starts, for a last-minute run-through of all the regulation changes and to make sure we're ready. We've already had a week together as a group, our regular pre-season training camp at an army barracks near Aldershot in the second week of July. We had our fitness tests then and did all the army activities - long-distance runs, assault courses. Anyone who thinks we don't take this job seriously should have seen us then.

As a referee you are one individual in charge of a game but we try to work as a team. It's very important that we're on the same wavelength - you hear managers complain a lot about consistency and we want to make sure that's not an issue this season. That's why we need to spend time together, to talk through all the issues that might come up and to make sure we do ourselves justice.

Nobody's perfect, of course. I didn't watch a lot of the World Cup - when I'm not working as a referee I like to switch off. I saw all the England games (and, by the way, under the laws of the game Rooney had to be sent off), but I wasn't watching when Graham Poll showed a Croatia player three yellow cards. Graham's my mentor - all the young referees have one - so I've spoken to him about it. His advice has been important to me and hopefully I'll make sure that kind of thing never happens to me.

It's been an unusual pre-season, because of a patella tendon injury I picked up in January. It was causing me massive pain after matches. I had an operation in February and it kept me out for the rest of the season. I haven't stopped training since then, even on holiday. And since July I've been doing friendlies and European matches - the Intertoto Cup tie between Hertha Berlin and FK Moscow and the Uefa Cup qualifier between Omonia and Rijeka were my first two - so I shouldn't have any problems with fitness. I set myself targets every season and this year I want to take charge of a domestic final or at least do some high-profile games. My greatest goal is to do a World Cup final but I've got a long way to go before that. Besides, if I do all the big games now, what have I got to look forward to?

It's very exciting, looking ahead, to think what I might achieve. At 32 I'm still young. I think some people looked down on me when I became the youngest person to referee in the Premiership at 29. But I took up refereeing when I was 16, where some of the others waited until their mid-20s. I think my age helps with the players - I'm from their era, I know where they're coming from. And I think managers appreciate what I'm trying to do and how hard I'm working - they don't always agree with me but I've never felt that they don't respect me.

I think we're getting less and less criticism from managers as the years pass. Keith Hackett, the Premiership's head of refereeing, has worked hard to get better communication but we're never going to please all the managers all the time. Every decision you make at least one person is going to think you've got it wrong. Sometimes, though, when managers sound off at the officials it wears a bit thin. After a while the chairman and the fans will see through them and when their patience runs out you're in trouble.

I'm lucky - I could still be a Premiership referee in 15 or 16 years' time - some referees only get here for the last few years of their careers and then they have to go back to an office job. That's really difficult for them - refereeing is unique, there's nothing else like it. And once you've finished, where are you supposed to go?

Men in the middle: The Premiership's elite referees

Mike Dean

From: Heswall

Age: 38

Years reffing: 21

Years in elite: 6

Last season: M23 Y74 R6

Style Liberal, let-it-flow type but like a trendy teacher he reacts sternly, more in disappointment than anger, when his goodwill is exhausted.

Controversy watch

Suspended for three months in February 2005 after he set up an online horse racing betting syndicate without permission from his employer. Also withdrawn from officiating last season's FA Cup final after concerns were raised about a Merseyside-based referee officiating a final involving Liverpool. Chelsea were fined £10,000 after their players acted in an "aggressive manner" towards him after William Gallas was sent off at Fulham in March.

Key fact

A devilish season last year. The total number of fouls in his matches last season: 666.

Steve Bennett

From: Orpington

Age: 45

Years reffing: 22

Years in elite: 7

Last season: M30 Y105 R10

Style

Strict and stern disciplinarian like a back-to-basics home secretary with a tabloid editor to humour.

Controversy watch

Awarded West Ham a goal against Middlesbrough in October when Teddy Sheringham's shot did not cross the line, and in January 2005 he gave Bolton a penalty at Blackburn after El Hadji Diouf dived over Brad Friedel and rolled over three times. "It was a diabolical decision," said Mark Hughes.

Key fact

Bennett is the most impatient referee: he produced a card every 6.9 fouls last season, the lowest total for a Premiership official.

Mark Halsey

From: Bolton

Age: 45

Years reffing: 17

Years in elite: 7

Last season: M21 Y37 R5

Style

Understated and low-key, he may later suffer repetitive strain injury from his use of the play-on gesture.

Controversy watch

Chelsea's players surrounded him twice at West Brom in March, first for his dismissal of Arjen Robben, then after Ronnie Wallwork's collision with Claude Makele, earning the club a £10,000 fine. Awarded Fulham a penalty against Arsenal at Craven Cottage in 2004 but later admitted on TV that he changed his mind after witnessing the Arsenal players' reactions. Blackburn's Ryan Nelsen was charged with improper conduct after accusing Halsey of having "a nice track record" of sending off Blackburn players.

Key fact

Halsey keeps himself fit during the season by training with Bolton.

Uriah Rennie

From: Sheffield

Age: 46

Years reffing: 27

Years in elite: 9

Last season: M27 Y63 R2

Style

Muscular Roboref who avoids dialogue with the players and dispenses justice with grim relish.

Controversy watch

Built his reputation in recent seasons but Wolves fans still recall the day in September 2003 when he awarded a penalty to Southampton after Kevin Phillips tripped on the ball in the penalty area with no opposing players near him. The then Wolves manager Dave Jones called him "useless". Jones would find an ally in Kevin Keegan. "I never talk about Uriah Rennie except to say I don't like him as a referee," Keegan once said. "Never have, never will."

Key fact

At 11.7 fouls per card, he was the most patient regular Premiership referee last season.

Graham Poll

From: Tring

Age: 43

Years reffing: 26

Years in elite: 13

Last season: M29 Y92 R5

Style

Staunch friend to the stars who can't help himself upstaging them by mugging to camera.

Controversy watch

The three-card trick during the Australia v Croatia match at the World Cup which mortified him was preceded by his failure in January to award Blackburn a penalty at Old Trafford in the Carling Cup semi-final second leg against Manchester United when Rio Ferdinand handballed. "Mr Poll thought 61,000 people had come to see him," said Mark Hughes.

Key fact

Has shown a red card to eight different players in the 90th minute of matches.

Howard Webb

From: Rotherham

Age: 35

Years reffing: 17

Years in elite: 3

Last season: M30 Y86 R5

Style

Patient and unruffled but with the "I'm in charge, sunshine" bearing of the police sergeant he once was.

Controversy watch

Graeme Souness received a one-game touchline ban and £10,000 fine for a tirade at Webb in November 2004. He said the referee failed to spot a foul in the build-up to one of Fulham's goals in their 4-1 win at Newcastle and did not award what Souness called a "blatant penalty" when Alan Shearer fell in the Fulham penalty area. West Ham's Alan Pardew and Rafael Benítez of Liverpool were also raging after he sent off Hayden Mullins and Luis Garcia in April, ruling them out of the FA Cup final.

Key fact

Webb's first five games as a Premiership referee ended goalless.

Mike Riley

From: Leeds

Age: 41

Years reffing: 26

Years in elite: 10

Last season: M28 Y113 R8

Style

Punctilious parking control attendant with an occasionally twitchy trigger finger.

Controversy watch

Took charge of Manchester United's 2-0 defeat of Arsenal in October 2004 which ended Arsenal's 49-match unbeaten Premiership run. He was criticised for United's penalty and for not sending off Ruud van Nistelrooy nor curbing the Neville brothers' persistent kicking of José Antonio Reyes. "The referee should have stopped the violence," Reyes said.

Key fact

Awarded the highest number of yellow cards (113) and fouls (967) in the Premiership last season.

Alan Wiley

From: Burntwood

Age: 46

Years reffing: 25

Years in elite: 7

Last season: M31 Y97 R5

Style

Lugubrious air masks common-sense approach but has a liking for over-dramatic hand gestures.

Controversy watch

Sent off Liverpool's Pepe Reina last season for brushing Arjen Robben's cheek at Stamford Bridge. But no one could question his sending off of David Prutton in 2005. The Southampton midfielder shoved Wiley and was banned for 10 matches.

Key fact

Wiley is in demand: he officiated 31 matches last season, the highest by a Premiership referee.

Chris Foy

From: St Helens

Age: 43

Years reffing: 23

Years in elite: 6

Last season: M22 Y55 R6

Style

Manages the game well by keeping a low profile and seems genuinely to enjoy his job.

Controversy watch

Birmingham co-owner David Sullivan was peeved when Foy called off his team's home fixture with Middlesbrough just over an hour before kick-off on December 20, 2003 even though both teams' managers were happy to play. Sullivan had made the game free for children and believed the referee was too hasty. "He has ruined Christmas for many of our supporters," said Sullivan.

Key fact

Awarded the highest number of penalties (eight) in the Premiership last season along with Phil Dowd and Mike Riley.

Phil Dowd

From: Stoke-on-Trent

Age: 43

Years reffing: 23

Years in elite: 5

Last season: M23 Y96 R7

Style

Premiership's Billy Bowden with unique array of signals delivered with a masterly look of scorn.

Controversy watch

In April's Wigan v Blackburn game he allowed a Rovers goal despite a push on John Filan. "I didn't think it was a foul, I thought it was GBH," said Paul Jewell. "He's just not very good. A Premiership manager told me he was the worst referee in this league, and he was not wrong."

Key fact

He handed out 4.8 cards per game last season, the highest average in the Premiership.

Rob Styles

From: Waterlooville

Age: 42

Years reffing: 19

Years in elite: 6

Last season: M30 Y91 R6

Style

Jekyll and Hyde. Usually keeps the game flowing but can snap like a croupier on speed to deal the cards.

Controversy watch

Jose Mourinho is not a fan. The Chelsea manager questioned the referee's integrity after last season's draw at Aston Villa. "He has definitely a problem with us. I'm not happy with the referee. He's not a bad referee but with Chelsea he's amazing." Also sent off Manchester City's Sylvain Distin last season when the City captain continued to protest Didier Drogba's second goal, which had been scored with the use of his hand, and refused to give him the ball at half-time.

Key fact

Mourinho could be wrong: Styles sent off three players against Chelsea last season.

Andre Marriner

From: Birmingham

Age: 35

Years reffing: 14

Years in elite: 1

Last season: M7 Y17 R1

Style

Occasionally looked nervous in his debut season but grew in stature by application of the advantage rule.

Controversy watch

"He didn't get just one [decision] wrong, he got three or four wrong," moaned Fulham's manager Chris Coleman after his side's defeat by Wigan in October. Marriner was a stand-in for the more experienced but injured Barry Knight. "My players were going nuts at half-time. Some of the decisions contributed to the result."

Key fact

Marriner was the first referee to officiate at Arsenal's Emirates Stadium.

Martin Atkinson

From: Leeds

Age: 35

Years reffing: 20

Years in elite: 2

Last season: M18 Y48 R1

Style

Unfussy Yorkshireman who imposes his authority without recourse to card-happy showmanship.

Controversy watch

Victim of a Chris Coleman tongue-lashing last season after he failed to spot Ruud van Nistelrooy offside in the build-up to a Manchester United goal against Fulham. "I said something to the officials which probably wasn't very nice but it was such a poor decision," said Coleman after being sent to the stands. "He was in a perfect position to see it and I just do not understand why he got it wrong. If I make a mistake I get criticised, so why shouldn't the officials?"

Jacques Santini was warned by the FA in September 2004 for saying Walton was "smiling with the players and staff of Manchester United" at half-time in Spurs' 1-0 defeat. Walton said that he had merely stood next to Sir Alex Ferguson to order his team back on the pitch.

Key fact

Has shown only two red cards during his time in the Premiership - both to goalkeepers.

Mark Clattenburg

From: Whitley Bay

Age: 31

Years reffing: 16

Years in elite: 2

Last season: M16 Y58 R0

Style

Bright young thing who prefers establishing a rapport with players to foraging in his breast pocket.

Controversy watch

Failed to award Spurs a goal in January, 2005 when Pedro Mendes's shot from 50 yards was bundled over the line by Roy Carroll. The match finished 0-0 and Spurs were denied a first Old Trafford victory for 16 years. He also has history with Neil Warnock, sending him off for "waving his arms and gesticulating" after Sheffield United were denied a penalty against Watford in October 2004.

Key fact

Did not send a single player off in his 16 Premiership matches last season.

Barry Knight

From: Kent

Age: 46

Years reffing: 28

Years in elite: 7

Last season: M5 Y15 R1

Style

The "Knightmare", managers' bete noir who tries desperately to keep low profile but too often fails.

Controversy watch

Sent off Sunderland's Andy Welsh last August when he "swung an arm" at Luis Garcia. TV replays later showed he simply ran into the Spaniard as he turned away. Has also been on the end of a Graeme Souness rant that cost the Scot £20,000 and a two-match touchline ban when he dismissed three Newcastle players against Aston Villa in 2005 - including Lee Bowyer and Kieron Dyer for fighting each other.

Key fact

Refereed only five games last season after damaging his knee ligaments.

Dermot Gallagher

From: Banbury

Age: 49

Years reffing: 29

Years in elite: 14

Last season: M20 Y32 R7

Style

Fans' favourite with a veteran's "seen it all" discretion and a refusal to become too obtrusive.

Controversy watch

Relegated to the Football League list in November 2001 after failing to send off Leeds' Robbie Keane for pushing David Beckham in the face after a fierce tackle by the then Manchester United midfielder in the 1-1 draw at Old Trafford. He has since restored his reputation.

Key fact

Gallagher is rapidly becoming a candidate for TV's Grumpy Old Men over the issue of delays at throw-ins. "The referee should be able to say: 'You're the nearest to it - you take it.' It ain't rocket science to take a throw-in."